Gas discharge from airships



Dec- 29, 1925 W. E. DCRR GAS DISCHARGE FROM AIRSHIPS Filed March 1, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 JNVENTOR: M139? Dec: 29,192 1,567,578

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Dec. .29, 1925.

w. E. DQRR GAS DISCHARGE FROM AIRSHIPS Filed March 1, 1925 3 Sheets-Shae: 5

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' the walls of Patented Dec. 29,1925.

UNITED STATES PATENTrOFFI CE;

v WILHELM nmvs'r Donn, or UEBERLINGEN, enamanv, nssrenoaro LUFTSGHIFFBAU znrrnrm e. M. IB. 3., or ramnmcnsnarmv, GERMANY.

ens DISCHARGE FROM'AIRSHIPS.

Application filed March 1, 1928. Serial No. 622,096.

To all tu iwm it may concern;

. Be it lmown that I, WILHELM ERNST Donn,-

a citizen of Germany, residing eat Ueberlingen, Germany, have invented -certain new and useful Improvements in Gas Discharges from Airships, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to improved means for effecting thei'discharge of the gasfrom airships of the rigid type. As heretofore practiced, the gas escaping from the 0 erpressure valves arranged in the gas cells has been made. to escape through upwardly directed fines and directly into the open air, the educ envelope enclos-' tion openings of the outer 'ing the cells being disposed in the median plane ofthe ship and preferably in the immediate vicinity, of a point of' juncture of a longitudinal member with one of. the an nular crossframes. This arrangement, however, involves the drawback that it. presents a great source of danger in case of. lightning, inasmuch as the points of juncture of the ridge girders are particularly exposed to the danger of being struck by lightning.

With a view to increasing the safety of rigid airships from the danger of lightning my invention makes provision for arranging the discharge openings in the outer envelope for the escape of the gas and of the gas and air mixture at. a "considerable distance from the points of juncture. -I further provide means for arranging the said discharge openings in the fields between the annular frames and remote fromsuch frames.- By this means and in combination therewith it becomes possible to guide the gas escaping from the valves in such a manner within the hull of the ship that the main gas eduction passages will not be situated above a point of juncture of the framework. This effect may also be produced in the case of gas-discharging means making use of a shaft or flue which is indirect open communication with the outside air, but the novel arrangement of means accordance with the presentinvention is. of special importancein connection with fines. or shafts through which the gas is caused to pass upwardly between the cells and introduced "into the space confined between the cells and the outer envelope. In this case there is no necessity of a special curved conduit for the gases, and there is the additional important advantage realized by having the gas-eduction conduit terminating within the envelope that by reason of this communication with the space enclosed by the envelope a communicating compensating connection is produced between, several escape openings. There is the further advantage that the stagnant or foul gas residue existing withinthe space confined between the envelope and the cells by reason of leakage of the cells or compartments including those occurring through injuries of the ship may escape to the outside air through the same openings in the outer enve ope.

My invention also provides for dispensing entirely with escape openings to the outside air in the front part or how portion of the ship in View of the increased danger of'lightning in such front part, and with this end in view the conduits in the front part are conducted only into the space enclosedwithin the envelope, from which the gases will then be rearwardly discharged through the escape openings. 7

If the quantity of the gas to be educted Such gas passages may be provided for" by a corresponding enlargement of the jacket space of the ship below the envelope, thus for instance by providing special structural means in the upper part of the-ship at which the walls of the gas cells are bent inwards'to form a reentrant portion, or by providing for the tightening between sev eral upper longitudinal members of the framework loosely confining the bulged-out compartments.

Means are also provided for a special arrangement and confi uration, to be described farther. below, of t e escape openings in view of a further diminishing of-the danger from lightning.

My invention further makes provision for improving the discharge of the gases and for doing away with the inconveniences of the suction heads or nozzles mounted upon the outer envelope of the ship which, howshould require it, a special gas-conducting distinction thereof makes use of countersunk nozzles for discharging the gas through the flue in an upwardly inclined direction the envelope of the 'larged directly impinging rain plained with through an upwardly open cochlear. or spoon-like nozzle wjliiiilli is situated within u The possibility of rain entering through an uncovered op'eningof this kind is of no material importance, because in-the case of it would only be the question of a comparatively small quantity thereof which may be conducted away by positive means, whenever required. The

far more considerable drifting water which in the caseof rain is carried along the hull of the ship, is held back according to my invention by suitable means, preferably consisting of a bar, ledge or the like mounted in front of the opening and adapted to the.

ration thereof.

A further provision for the prevention of the effects of lightning strokes upon the gas jacket-space is enlarged at its upper portion,

eduction means hereinbefore referred to is constituted in accordance with this invention by the mounting of a kind of lightning protector at an appropriate distance from each escape opening, such lightning protector comprising for instance a serrated piece of sheetmetal, a button or the like.

The invention will be more fully exreference to the accompanying drawings showing by way of example various embodiments thereof. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical axial section, partly in elevation, of a rigid airship;

Fig. 2 is a partial plan viewon an enscale with the escape openings situated in the middle'line of the several fields,

instead of being mounted adjacent the. loni Figs. 6 and 7- are and a corresponding plan view respectively gitudinal members.

Fig. 3 illustrates at a considerably redu'ced scale a total side view of an airship,

partly in longitudinal section.

' Fig. 4 is a transverse sectionillustrating a form of construction of the enlarged jacket space surrounding the cells within the envelope, with eduction openings arranged in pairs,

Fig. 5 shows the enlarged jacket space in' the vicinity'of the ridge in'a modified form of construction.

a longitudinal section of one of the preferredconstructions of a countersunk gas discharge opening.

Referring particularly to Figure 1 of the drawing, the'outer envelopefl of the hull extends over the longitudinal members 2' volume of gases.

and the annular cross frames 8. 'The gas cells 4 apply themselves from within against the framework of the hull comprising the longitudinal members and frames, and'in the lower portion of the ship they embrace the gangway or gallery 5,

the upper longitudinal supporting beam of which is indicated at 6. The cells 4 are pro:

vided withjvalves 7 adapted to open into a gas discharge flue 9 which is kept open between two adjoining cells by frames 8. Through this flue 9 the gas escaping from the valve 7 is conducted into the jacket space 10 from which it may be discharged through the openings 11. These openings, in the construction illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing, are arranged centrally between the points of juncture formed by ,the longitudinal members 2 and the annular'frames 3. In the plan view shown in Figure 2 the escapeopenings 11 are situated substantially in the centers of the field sections formed by the longitudinal members 2 and the annular frames 3. I v

In Fig; 3 a-modification of an airship is shown in which no escape openings are provided in the front part or bow portion.

transverse.

In the construction disclosed in ,Fig. 4 the this being accomplished, for instance, by

making the. longitudinal ridge members 12 ofa somewhat greater structuralheight than.

"cells 4 and providing a kind ofpassage or channel along "the ridge member for any -The escape openingsare' arranged in pairs substantially in the midtion conduit 9 is not contiguouswith any of the points of juncture.

.dle of the field sections. The maingaseduc-v In accordancewith' the modified construetion shown in Fig. 5 the enlargement of the jacket space is accomplished by special structuralmeans on thesidesof'which the cells are bent inwards, Qn the ridge m'em ber 12 and suitably spaced fromeach other yokes. 15. ma ,ror nstance, be providedbe connected among each which may a so other, thus for example'by astifiening net or the like. Frame or skeleton shaped structural parts for the, production of a logitudinal channel may be providedatiany suitable part. g A

In Figs. 6 and? I haveshown form of escape opening adapted to produce a smooth 4 outer surfaceof the ship combined-with un-' objectionable gas discharge' bygconducting,

the gasfrom the jacket'spacebelow the on velope along anupwardly extending surface velope, by means of which the drifting Water running along upon the surface of the ship is held back,and on the other hand the suction is increased.

At a'certain distance from the opening a lightning protector which may be constituted for instance by a serrated sheet-metal piece 18, may be arranged whichis in metallie connection with the framework of the 11111. I My invention is capable of various other modifications and alterations without departing from the essential features of the invention so as to adapt the same to varying conditions of application and to suit the convenience of the operator.

I claim 1. A rigid airship comprising a hull con sist-ing of'longitudinal and of cross members,

a cover on said hull, gas cells within said hull, valves in the walls of said gas cells, gas passages between said gas cells in the planes of said cross members and offset said bends adapted to discharge the gasj apbends at the upper ends of said passages having outlets remote from the intersection of cross members and longitudinal members.

2. A rigid airship comprising a hull consisting of longitudinal and of cross members, a cover on said hull, gas cells within said hull, valves in the walls of said gas cells, gas passa es between said gas cells, offset bends at t e u per ends of said passages, and countersun outlets at the ends of proximately in the direction of the outer air current, said outlets being remote from the intersection of said longitudial members with said cross members.

3. A rigid airshipcomprising a hull con, sisting of longitudinal and of cross members, a cover on said hull, gas cells Within said hull, valves in the walls of said gas cells, gas passages leading from said valves to outlets in said outer cover, and lightning conductors connected with the hull and situated forward of said outlets, said outlets being remote from the intersection of said longitudinal members with saidcross members.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILHELM ERNST DGRR. 

